


into the depths (screaming give me a reason)

by JaggedlyRewritten



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Equalists (Avatar), F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26456506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaggedlyRewritten/pseuds/JaggedlyRewritten
Summary: “I thought—” Asami felt the air leave her lungs as her chest tightened, “I thought you just arrived in Republic City a month ago?”Korra’s lips twisted into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s the official story. The real one is a little more...complicated.”
Relationships: Bolin & Asami Sato, Bolin & Korra & Mako & Asami Sato, Bolin & Korra (Avatar), Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Jinora & Korra (Avatar), Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Korra & Mako (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Mako & Asami Sato
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic for The Legend of Korra, and I hope you enjoy! I can’t give away too much, but I will say this follows the first four episodes of season one (kind of) and revolves around the conflict with the Equalists, but with some added aspects of another season and some canon divergence. 
> 
> If you happen to be a reader of my first (and only other) fic, then I’m going to tell you here that I’ve hit writer’s block with that one. I’m not going to abandon it, if I ever do that to any of my stories I'll let you all know so you aren’t eternally waiting, but I’m postponing the updating for it. I’d rather not update than give you half-hearted chapters and do a disservice to the characters, ya know? 
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy the story!

The lights from the garage cast Asami’s shadow onto the smooth pavement below. She stood under the open metal doors, looking out across the city. The Sato family estate had always had a perfect view from its hilltop vantage point. 

The sky was dark, the moon shining high above in the black abyss, and Asami briefly recalled the legend her mother had told her about the moon spirit. She couldn’t remember the specifics, a vague memory slowly eroding over the expanse of time, but it brought her a sense of comfort all the same to know that the moon watched over the lives of those below her domain. 

Asami sighed and bit her lip, turning away from the array of lights illuminating the city and walking back into the open garage. The workshop, while by no means cramped compared to the size of most of Republic City’s auto shops, was the smallest in the face of the Sato fortune. Asami preferred it that way, she had designed the space herself after all. 

Her personal garage had been a project she was eager to develop for years, longing for a space of her own where she could tinker outside of her father’s influence or the constant rush of Future Industries employees. The smaller confines of the space limited the number of people able to populate the garage, and while Asami had told the staff they were welcome to the area, it seemed they had developed an unspoken rule out of respect for Asami’s privacy. 

Sometimes Asami thought she could spend an eternity in that garage, working with the heavy metal doors wide open, overlooking the hustle of Republic City from miles away. She loved her father, she loved Future Industries, and she loved the people of Republic City, she really did. But sometimes it was overwhelming being the heiress to a million-yuan company in a city wrought with conflict. In the solitary comfort of her little garage, Asami felt so far from all of the world’s problems. Here, the flashing cameras of the press didn’t exist, the threat of the Triads didn’t exist, the growing tension between benders and non-benders didn’t exist. Here, the only things that existed were Asami, her axel wrench, and the hum of a working engine. 

Asami gathered her scattered tools and placed them neatly on the workbench. She shut the hood of her Satomobile and wiped her hands free of oil before exiting the garage. As she entered the code into the keypad, as she heard the large metal doors descending on their rails, Asami took one last look at Republic City and pursed her lips. Then she looked to the moon, to the wide expanse of water in the bay reflecting the light of the stars, and with a small sigh she began the walk up to the Sato mansion. 

* * *

Asami slammed on her brakes, her tires skidding across the road as she turned her moped sideways in an attempt to reduce her speed. An attempt that inevitably failed as she crashed into the figure ahead, the body going airborne before tumbling to the ground. Asami’s heart hammered in her chest as she hurriedly jumped off her seat, haphazardly knocking the kickstand with her foot, not really caring about the state of her bike in light of the crumpled form on the pavement. 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you!” 

Taking off her helmet, she ran to the man’s side, shaking out her hair as she came to a halt in front of him. He rubbed the back of his head as he sat up, his tone aggravated. 

“How could you not see me? I mean I was just—” 

Golden brown eyes met Asami’s and she realized the man in front of her was actually a boy around her age. His dark hair was spiked, if a little disheveled from the crash, and his long trench coat was scuffed up. He looked vaguely familiar but Asami couldn’t quite put her finger on it. His sharp features froze as he took in Asami’s appearance, his fiery personality suddenly dwindling. 

“Uh, I was, I-I...” he coughed awkwardly, averting his eyes as his cheeks colored. “Wow, that was—” 

Asami found his nervous school boy reaction endearing but the adrenaline coursing through her veins gave her little time to appreciate it. She took him by the elbow, trying to help him stand as she frantically spouted off questions. 

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Ugh, I’m such an idiot,” Asami worriedly raked her eyes over the boy’s form, checking for injuries. Aside from a few scrapes she didn’t notice anything serious but she didn’t want to take any chances, having half a mind to set this stranger on her bike and take him to the hospital herself. 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he reassured her, brushing off his sleeves as he began to regain his composure. “My brother hits me harder than that every day in practice.” 

The pieces all fell into place, something clicking in Asami’s mind as she realized why the boy in front of her seemed familiar. Excitement grew in the pit of her stomach, along with dread at the revelation of just who exactly she had hit with her bike, as she pointed her finger a little more energetically than intended into his chest. 

“Wait, I recognize you. You’re Mako, right? You play for the Fire Ferrets!” 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Mako replied with a casual shrug, though his eyes were still bashful. Asami wished she was an earthbender so she could will the ground to swallow her whole. 

_Way to hit one of your favorite pro-bending players with a moped, Sato,_ she berated herself as she face-palmed. 

“I am so embarrassed. My name’s Asami, let me make this up to you somehow,” Asami scrambled to offer an apology, her next words tumbling out of her mouth before she could really think about it. “Uh, how about I treat you and your team to dinner? Tomorrow night, eight o’clock, Kwong’s Cuisine.” 

She didn’t wait for an answer, too occupied with mentally chastising herself as she walked back to her moped, when she heard a noise of surprise from behind her. 

“Kwong’s?” Mako asked hesitantly. “We don’t have any clothes nice enough for a place that classy.” 

Asami’s guilt intensified and she tried to keep the shock off of her features. She had assumed all pro-bending players were fairly well-off, especially a team as successful as the Fire Ferrets. She quickly and subtly took in Mako’s appearance again, this time with more scrutiny. The small tears in his clothes were from the wreck, but as she surveyed him for the second time she noticed that the stitching in his coat was already slightly frayed, his pants faded, the scarf around his neck nice but worn. She knew she couldn’t judge him off this first encounter, and she certainly couldn’t judge him solely on the state of his clothes. But from Mako’s deeply furrowed brows and the way he avoided her gaze, Asami could guess that he and his team’s financial situation was a sensitive subject. Asami barely resisted the urge to slap her hand against her face again.

_Not only did you run him over, you also ruined his clothes and made him self-conscious._

"I'll take care of that,” Asami tried to reassure him, slipping her helmet back on to give her hands something to do. “All you guys need to do is show up.” 

Mako scratched the back of his neck casually as he looked at her, but something about his stare made Asami think he was looking at her in the same way she had observed him earlier. She was struck with the sudden fear that he recognized her as Hiroshi Sato’s daughter, that he thought her offer insincere or that she was trying to flaunt her money around. She opened her mouth to speak, her heartrate spiking, when Mako’s arm dropped back to his side and a shy but easy smile slipped onto his lips. 

“That sounds nice,” he said with nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” 

Asami smiled at him as she mounted her moped, hitting the kickstand with her boot before revving the engine. She glanced back at Mako as she drove away, returning his friendly wave as she took off down the street. 

She’d have to inform the tailor that she needed three suits tomorrow for the “Fabulous Bending Brothers” and— 

Asami nearly crashed into the car in front of her as she slammed on the brakes once more, screeching to a halt mere inches away from the bumper. The car honked at her but she hardly registered the noise, her eyes widening at her most recent revelation.

The Fire Ferrets had debuted a new waterbender during their last match.

_I'm meeting the Avatar tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for coming to the second chapter! Hopefully you’re liking it so far and there haven’t been too many typos. If you ever want to talk about the story or even just freak out with me over your favorite characters, feel free to do so in the comments (if you're more of a silent type that’s cool too haha). I don’t really have a set update schedule, it’s kind of just whenever I can, so I’m sorry in advanced. 
> 
> I spent more time than I'd care to admit going back and watching S1E4 to get the dialogue right for both this chapter and the last one...and to describe their clothes...and to re-watch it just because the series is so good haha. 
> 
> This is a long one, hope you like it! 

Asami took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her sleeveless red dress was elegant but not overly fancy, perfect for a dinner at Kwong’s Cuisine. There were accents of gold sprinkled into her attire in the form of a few bracelets and her golden hair pin. She nearly forwent the accessories, the last thing she wanted to do was make the Fire Ferrets self-conscious like she had unintentionally done to Mako the other day. However, her tailor had reassured her that the clothes he made for her guests were of the utmost quality and she didn’t want to insult them by underdressing. But for tonight, would overdressing be better or worse than underdressing? She supposed it depended on the people but she hardly knew the Fire Ferrets and she really wanted to make a good impression and— 

Asami sighed, rubbing her temples. She was overthinking this and she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself. Being the heiress to Future Industries meant that she knew how to socialize with wealthy business owners, ambitious entrepreneurs, and polite staff members. But that left very little time to socialize with people her own age, a fact she had forgotten about until _after_ she invited Mako and his team to dinner, and had subsequently been panicking over ever since. Tonight was her chance at normalcy. For once, she would finally be able to have some regular social interaction. No business deals, no fancy ballrooms, no intruding press, just four teenagers having dinner.

As long as she didn’t screw it up. 

She thought back to her encounter with Mako the other day. He seemed nice, charming in a boyish way, but reserved. She remembered how he looked at her closely after she had reassured him that clothes were no issue, like he was trying to figure out her motive. Not quite distrusting, but cautious. Asami’s heart clenched at that, wondering what happened to him in the past to make him so wary. 

Her mind wandered to the other two benders who would be joining them at Kwong’s. Asami had been a fan of the Fire Ferrets from the start, watching every match she could in person, listening on the radio to the ones she couldn’t attend. But as big of a fan as she was, even she knew next to nothing about the team outside of the ring. The Fire Ferrets kept their private lives just that—private.

There was the common knowledge. Bolin was Mako’s brother, an earthbender whose excited grin could be spotted even from the back of the stadium. The brothers had founded the Fire Ferrets two years ago at the young ages of sixteen and fourteen. Mako was an exceptional firebender, the captain of the team and their hard-hitting offensive player. Bolin was just as tenacious as his older brother but truly excelled in defense, countering his opponent’s attacks as an unmovable wall. Other than their skills in the ring, their strong brotherly relationship, and their reputation as the upstarts of the pro-bending circuit, not much was known about them, a rare feat for a team of their caliber. And with the addition of their new waterbender, the Fire Ferrets became even more mysterious. 

As if meeting her favorite team of pro-benders wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, Asami was going to meet the Avatar tonight. Word had spread fast of the girl’s rather explosive and controversial appearance in Republic City a few days ago. She didn’t think she’d ever heard of an Avatar being arrested during a time of peace, let alone within the first few hours of her time in the city. Still, Asami couldn’t help but be impressed when she learned about the details surrounding the Avatar’s arrival. Fighting three-to-one against the Triads and defending innocent people, arrest or not, warranted a good mark in Asami’s book. 

Then Asami had heard the girl’s pro-bending match over the radio. She had to admit, it sounded like the Avatar had a rough start, but the announcers had remarked that she had never played before and Asami couldn’t hold it against her. From what she gathered, the Avatar had been a last-minute substitution for Hasook after he bailed on the team without warning. Asami had never liked the guy, too full of himself and always undermining Mako’s role as captain. Even if they lost the match, Asami would gladly take the Avatar over him. 

But they didn’t lose. The Avatar pulled through at the end, dodging attacks left and right before knocking all three of her opponents off the platform and into the water. Asami could hardly hear the announcers over the roar of the crowd. 

Other than her sudden appearance in Republic City, subsequent arrest, and her first performance as a pro-bender, Asami knew nothing about the girl, not even her name. 

She had always wondered as a child who the Avatar was, where they were, what they were like. She supposed she would find out tonight. 

* * *

Kwong’s was nice as always, the dim lighting illuminating the fancy decorum. Asami sat in a spacious booth, staring at the vase of flowers on the table as she fought the urge to fidget. She could do this. It was just a dinner with three regular teenagers. Okay, three pro-bending teenagers. Well, two pro-bending teenagers and one teenage Avatar but— 

Asami took a deep breath to cut off her mental rambling. This was supposed to be a nice, relaxing dinner to make up for hitting Mako with her moped. For all she knew, this could be a one-time only kind of thing. 

Her stomach sank at the thought. When she had offered to treat the team to dinner, the words had flown out of her mouth before she could stop them, and before she could panic at what she had just done, Mako had accepted. Half an hour later, Asami had been freaking out in her garage. Excitement and anxiety had coiled their way into her chest simultaneously and it was hard to tell the two apart. She tried to keep both her hopes and her fears low, only praying she wouldn’t be completely rejected and they could go their separate ways on good terms. Still, it was hard to keep her nerves at bay and even harder to suppress the longing in her chest at the slightest possibility of not being alone anymore, of the idea of what could come from this night. 

"You’ve really outdone yourself with these clothes, Asami.” 

She snapped her head towards the sound of Mako’s voice to see him leading his team to her table. Her tailor really did have superb craftsmanship. Mako’s white collar was a stark contrast to the dark suit jacket hugging the frame of his shoulders. The golden buttons along the front of his coat made Asami feel less self-conscious about her own gold accessories. What stood out most about his clothing though was his red scarf from the other day, neatly tucked around his neck, completing the look with his own personal style. Asami liked it. 

“Kai and Jinora—” 

“Stop worrying about Kai and Jinora and worry about how your collar is flipped the wrong way.” 

Two voices drifted in from behind Mako. He slid into the booth beside Asami, revealing his brother and the Avatar. Well, the back of the Avatar. She stood facing away from Asami as Bolin adjusted the collar of her dress. The earthbender himself was fitted in an open brown suit with a green and white waistcoat. He was broader than his older brother, his hair more unruly in the back with a single curl hanging loose over his forehead. His tongue stuck out between his lips and his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he focused on fixing the Avatar’s clothes. 

Which made his reaction to catching Asami’s eye hilarious. 

His face froze and his hands, still gripping the Avatar’s collar, ceased their movements as his jaw dropped open. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before his hand shot up in a wave and his face split into a beaming grin. 

“Hi there! The name’s Bolin.” 

He toyed with the Avatar’s dress for another second before hurrying towards the table, eagerly holding out his hand for Asami to shake. She grasped it happily, his infectious energy and kind eyes already making her feel at ease. She opened her mouth to introduce herself when a voice sounded past Bolin. 

“I think all you managed to do was crease it, Bo.” 

Asami whipped her head towards the Avatar before she could stop herself, already feeling color rising to her cheeks as she realized how _not_ casual that was. But before she could worry about it too much, she felt her breath catch slightly in her chest. She wasn’t sure what she had expected the Avatar to look like, but she hadn’t expected this. 

The girl before her was around Asami’s own age, maybe even slightly younger. Her tan skin, a signature of the Water Tribe, was accented by the white trimming on the sleeveless blue dress Asami’s tailor had made. Her dark hair was down and topped with a small white hat of some kind. She wasn’t looking towards the table, her chin tilted against her chest instead as she tried to look at her collar. Her hands were smoothing out the fabric where Bolin had been holding it, her muscular shoulders clearly visible in the light of the restaurant. 

While Asami had known the Avatar was a teenager, it was shocking to actually grasp the concept. From the street fight to the arrest story to the pro-bending hobby, well...it was easy to forget she was a girl Asami’s own age. Her presence exuded strength and power, but she didn’t look all that different from any other teenager. 

And then the Avatar looked up and _wow,_ Asami spoke too soon. 

Blue eyes met green and Asami felt like cold water had been dumped over her head. The gaze was sharp and piercing, ice radiating from her sheer intensity. Asami vaguely registered how beautiful the Avatar was over the sound of her heart pounding against her chest. She didn’t know what she had done wrong but she would have been frantically apologizing if she wasn’t completely frozen under the cold glare. 

_You haven’t even said anything yet and you’re already about to be murdered by the Avatar. You really do suck at making friends._

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the stare vanished as the Avatar froze, replaced by a crooked grin and an embarrassed blush. She quickly lowered her fidgeting hands from her collar, offering one to Asami instead. 

“Hey, I’m Korra! You’re Asami, right?” 

Asami blinked. She felt like she had whiplash. Did she imagine that whole first impression? Was she that nervous? 

Korra’s grin began to fade, a look of confusion taking its place as her hand faltered, and that snapped Asami out of her shock as she hastily shot her own hand out. 

“That’s me. It’s lovely to meet you,” Asami flashed a friendly smile as her mind caught up with her. The Avatar's voice was deeper than she expected. Avatar Korra.

_Korra. It suits her._

The Avatar’s grin returned full force as she shook Asami’s hand and Asami felt something loosen in her chest. 

Korra lowered herself into the booth with Bolin and Asami swallowed her nerves as she spoke, “I am such a big pro-bending fan. I caught almost all of your matches this season.” 

“Wow,” Mako said beside her, sounding impressed. “Honestly there were a few I wish you hadn’t seen.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. You guys are amazing,” Asami said sincerely as she looked around the table. 

Bolin gave her a big grin as he elbowed Korra beside him, “Well, thank you! And now that we’ve got Korra on the team, we’re going to be unstoppable next year.” 

Korra looked down in embarrassment. She glanced at Asami and chuckled nervously, “I hope that was one of the matches you didn’t see.” 

“I couldn’t make it that day, but I heard it over the radio. You should give yourself more credit, you really pulled through in the end,” Asami reassured her. She found Korra’s modesty almost surprising. It’s not like she had assumed the Avatar would be overbearing, she had heard of Avatar Aang’s humility, but she hadn’t expected the girl to seem so...human. 

As soon as the thought entered her mind, Asami felt guilty. Being the daughter of one of Republic City’s wealthiest businessmen, she knew how hurtful assumptions could be. 

Korra didn’t look quite convinced, but she smiled in appreciation all the same. “I’ve always loved pro-bending. I would listen to matches all the time, but I never had the chance to actually try it before. It’s exhilarating.” 

“I can’t wait to see you play in the tournament,” Asami said. She could only imagine what it would be like to watch the Avatar’s bending. 

Korra’s bright grin dimmed a little. Bolin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Asami felt Mako bring a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, a habit she noticed he resorted to when he was nervous. 

“Yeah, well...maybe next year,” he said quietly. 

“What do you mean?” Asami asked, feeling her heart clench at the team’s crestfallen expressions. “You made it in.” 

“It just isn’t in the cards for us right now,” Mako shrugged casually but Asami could hear the disappointment in his voice. None of the Fire Ferrets would meet her eyes. 

“Tell me,” Asami pleaded. She didn’t want to push, but she could feel the sadness rolling off the team in waves despite their best efforts to hide it. “What’s the problem?” 

Bolin broke in the end, sighing as he admitted, “We don’t have the cash to ante up for the championship pot. So...it looks like we’re out of the running.” 

Asami’s eyebrows drew together. How were teams supposed to advance if they couldn’t compete in the matches that would escalate their ranking? They couldn’t make money without participating in the tournament, and they couldn’t participate in the tournament without having money. Suddenly it made sense why the Wolfbats were the undefeated champions. 

“That’s not fair,” Asami felt like the words weren’t enough but Korra sent her a sad smile anyway, and the gears in Asami’s head started turning. 

_Maybe I could—_

“Enough about us,” Korra said nonchalantly, leaning forward as her sad smile turned into a mischievous grin. “What about you Miss Motorbike? What do you do in your spare time besides running over firebenders in the middle of the street?” 

Asami felt heat rising to her cheeks at the reminder. Not one of her best moments, she had to admit. 

“I promise, I’m usually a much better driver than that,” Asami said, her lips curving upward in spite of her embarrassment. 

“I did kind of run out in front of you, to be fair,” Mako defended, flashing her a boyish smile. 

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Korra quipped. A blush was rising on Mako’s face as he turned towards the Avatar. 

“It was rush hour.” 

“Okay.” 

“The bus was leaving.” 

“Mhm.” 

“I was distracted!” 

“I’m sure you were,” Korra smirked and Bolin snorted next to her. 

Mako scratched the back of his neck and looked down at the table. Asami watched as the teasing grin Korra wore turned into something more sincere. 

Asami was distracted as Bolin struck up a conversation with her, asking about the restaurant and what she would recommend. She was happy to tell him her favorite dishes and help him decide, but she couldn’t help but steal subtle glances at the interaction between the other two Fire Ferrets. 

Korra was staring at Mako, that smile still in place as she ducked a little to make eye contact. Asami saw Mako eventually glance up and he and Korra seemed to exchange a quick, silent conversation. After a moment they picked up their menus, joining her and Bolin’s discussion. 

She didn’t know how to feel about the whole situation. Mako was a nice guy, and extremely handsome, but she had just met him the other day. He was definitely a gentleman and a talented bender, more reserved than his outgoing brother yet effortlessly charming. There wasn’t much Asami knew about him, but she wasn't blind. He was a total package. 

So why did she feel so hesitant? 

Asami’s train of thought was derailed as Korra started choking on her water. Bolin patted her back and Mako’s hand shot across the table as if to protect her. 

“Asami, these meals—” 

“—are my treat,” Asami cut Korra off. She knew the second the menus had been placed on the table that the odds of one of them objecting to her buying were high. 

“Are you sure?” Korra asked slowly, her tone serious and hesitant. 

“Positive,” Asami promised. “And don’t even try to order something small to cut the costs.” 

Bolin laughed as he elbowed Korra in the ribs, “She’s already got you pegged, Kor.” 

Korra muttered as she shoved Bolin’s shoulder in response, but Asami could tell she was fighting a smile.

The waiter came by shortly after to take their orders. Asami raised a challenging brow as he got to Korra, the Avatar rolling her eyes good-naturedly in response before politely addressing the man. 

Asami folded her hands neatly on the table, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. She wasn’t exactly sure what the rules were when it came to addressing an Avatar, but she hoped she was doing a good job so far. 

“So, how are you liking Republic City?” 

Korra smiled but it felt different somehow. Asami couldn’t quite tell what was off but she felt her confidence slipping and wondered if she had overstepped somehow. 

“It’s really different, but a good different. I'm liking it so far,” Korra’s brows furrowed as she trailed off, “I mean, aside from getting arrested...” 

Asami mentally facepalmed. Of course, that’s why Korra seemed less enthusiastic. Her arrest probably wasn’t something she made a habit of bringing up regularly. 

Mako chuckled, shrugging before crossing his arms. “Well, you did kind of wreck a street full of shops.” 

Korra glared at him and Asami couldn’t help but notice that it was different from the stare she thought she’d seen earlier. It was still unusually intimidating and Asami would never want to be on the receiving end of the look, but it wasn’t quite as unsettling as before. Asami chalked the first encounter up to her nerves making her imagine things. 

She did feel like she was missing something though, glancing between Korra and Mako. Korra’s mouth curled in annoyance and Mako raised an amused eyebrow in response, a smug smirk on his face. 

“She loves the skyscrapers though, right Korra?” Bolin cut into the conversation, nudging his teammate. 

Korra sent one last look towards Mako before the scowl slipped off her face, replaced by a crooked grin, and Asami couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes lit up as she spoke. “Oh yeah, the skyscrapers are unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like them.” 

“You should’ve seen how she reacted to the view from the arena for the first time,” Bolin chuckled. “I thought I was going to have to drag her back down myself.” 

Asami laughed as she imagined Bolin tugging on Korra’s arm, the Avatar refusing to budge. Then a thought occurred to her, the question slipping past her lips before she could stop herself. 

“They don’t have anything like that where you’re from?” 

Asami regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. 

She swore Korra’s eyes turned to ice again and her heart stopped, but Bolin suddenly bumped the table with his knee. He quickly shifted his hands to stop his cup from spilling and Asami moved to steady her own glass. When she turned back to Korra, the glare was gone as if it had never been there in the first place. 

Asami felt more confused than ever, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. That was the second time the cold glare had appeared, surely it couldn’t be her imagination? Asami had obviously hit a sensitive topic, maybe that was it. But what was the first look about, then? Nothing was adding up. 

"The South Pole has a lot less people than Republic City,” Korra chuckled but it seemed forced. The sound made Asami's chest ache.

Aang had been an airbender, so Korra was the waterbender of the cycle. Asami knew that. She had even read that the Avatar was from the Southern Water Tribe in the paper a few days ago. Republic City had to be such a new experience for her. 

But that’s not what Asami was berating herself over. Korra’s smile was still in place, but it didn’t meet her eyes. Her broad shoulders looked tense. Something about the South Pole was a personal matter and Asami had stumbled right into it. She wanted to apologize immediately, but she had a feeling that would only make matters worse. 

“Pardon me, Miss Sato. Your main course,” the waiter set four dishes onto the table, making a grand show of removing the lids to reveal their elegantly plated food. 

Asami winced, carefully masking her expression as she developed a sudden fixation on the plates in front of her. 

_As if this couldn’t get any worse._

She held out a naïve hope that no one had made the connection. Unfortunately, judging by the collective pause of her guests, she hadn’t been so lucky. 

“Miss Sato?” Mako asked slowly. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to Hiroshi Sato, creator of the Satomobile?” 

Asami was almost tempted to lie. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed of her father, in fact she was proud of all he had accomplished. But people never acted the same once they found out she was the heiress to Future Industries, whether they began to turn up the charm for her money or launch profanities at her for being a spoiled rich girl. 

It was a shame, excluding the last two minutes, she had been really enjoying herself. Between Korra’s grins and quick quips, Mako’s sincerity and banter, and Bolin’s sweet smiles and excitement, Asami had started to take a severe liking to the Fire Ferrets. 

“Yeah, he’s my dad,” Asami said with a casual shrug to hide her buzzing nerves. She stared at her glass, bracing herself. 

“Get out of town!” Mako exclaimed, his reserved demeanor falling away in shock, and Asami would have laughed if she knew how to breathe. He sounded surprised, but he didn’t sound mad. In fact, he almost sounded...excited? 

Chancing a look around the table, Asami saw various degrees of astonishment on the Fire Ferrets' features. Mako looked stunned, his eyes wide as he processed this new information. Bolin was less subtle, his mouth hanging open with a fork frozen halfway to his mouth. 

Asami hesitantly snuck a glance at Korra. The tension from earlier was gone, replaced by a shocked expression as her eyes filled with curiosity. 

But no one was upset. They were surprised, it was written all over their faces, but that’s what amazed her. They weren’t putting up any fronts. They weren’t looking at Asami any differently, and her chest swelled at the revelation. 

She was struck by a sudden idea, the continuation of a thought that had been interrupted. If they didn’t care who her father was, maybe she would be able to execute her plan.

“I’m serious. You want to meet him?” Asami picked up her glass, trying to seem nonchalant as she took a drink to drown out the beating of her heart. 

“Meet the most successful captain of industry in all of Republic City?” Mako took one look at his teammates and their growing excitement, his tone laced with mirth and disbelief. “Yeah, I think we’ll take you up on that.” 

Asami had to fight to keep her smile from turning into a complete beam. 

Korra’s shoulders suddenly dropped, disappointment clear in her voice, “But we’ll have to do it another night.” 

Mako and Bolin looked confused, the latter holding up a finger to object, before realization dawned in their eyes.

“I completely forgot,” Bolin slapped a hand against his forehead as he groaned. “Opal is going to kill me.” 

“Bolin’s girlfriend gets into town today,” Mako explained. He glanced at his watch before turning to Asami apologetically. “Time must have gotten away from us. She’ll be expecting us any minute. Think we can get a raincheck on that meeting, maybe tomorrow?” 

Asami felt slightly disappointed at having to cut their dinner short, but that paled in comparison to the elation she felt at the idea of seeing them all again. 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll swing by the arena tomorrow afternoon to pick you all up?” 

“Sounds good,” Mako replied, his smile wide. 

“You guys head out, I’ll wait for the check,” Asami turned to Bolin with a grin. “Best not keep your girl waiting.” 

Bolin flashed her a grateful smile as the Fire Ferrets stood from the booth. 

“Thank you for dinner,” Mako said with a small inclination of his head, ever the gentleman. “It was really nice getting to know you.” 

Asami was touched by his sincerity, her words just as honest, “I had a wonderful time.” 

Mako looked like he wanted to say more but Bolin grabbed him by the arm, dragging him towards the door as he rambled excitedly about seeing his girlfriend. 

“It was great meeting you!” Bolin called over his shoulder, giving Asami a wave as he rushed out of the restaurant. “Feel free to hit my brother with a moped anytime!” 

“Hey!” 

Asami chuckled and shook her head as the two disappeared. Wait—

She did a doubletake as she realized Korra was still standing in front of the table. The Avatar met her eyes purposefully, an undercurrent of determination and honesty in her gaze.

“Thank you for tonight, Asami. We should do this again soon. And next time,” Korra’s crooked smile returned as she winked, “I’m buying.” 

Asami’s mouth felt dry, her tongue uncooperative as she tried to form words. But Korra was already off, sprinting after Mako and Bolin. Asami heard a shout of “Guys, wait up!” as the restaurant doors closed behind the Avatar. 

Asami leaned her elbows against the table, trying to process her whirlwind of emotions. The Fire Ferrets wanted to spend time with her. No—Korra, Mako, and Bolin wanted to spend time with her. And they didn’t care who her father was. They liked _Asami._

It was almost enough to make her forget about Korra’s icy glare. 

Almost. 

Asami didn’t know much about the Avatar. She didn’t know her at all, really. Not in a way that mattered. 

But she knew she wanted to. 


End file.
